``If you look at the facts about retirement savings in this country today, the picture is positively dismal. Measured against the rule of thumb that says you'll need ten times your annual income saved in order to maintain your lifestyle during your retirement years... the reality is that almost no one in this country is going to make it.

Three quarters of those ages 50 to 64 have average total retirement account balances of $26,395. Even those in the top 25 percent of earners age 50‐64 have retirement account balances of only $52,000.

And as bad as the problem is on a national scale, it's significantly worse for women.

Women are more likely to work in part-time jobs that don't qualify for a retirement plan. According to the U.S. Department of Labor, of the 62 million wage and salaried women between age 21 -- 64, only 45 percent participate in a retirement plan.''